They give many and excellent [lessons], but most of all to Apostolic men, and to all who are sent hither and thither for the safety of souls: alone they penetrate into a hostile land and an adverse city, with great peril of life. Hence is learned fortitude, and the abandonment of things otherwise most dear — fatherland and friends. They do not indulge in sleep, even though [they were] not in Rahab’s house; but they hasten [their] flight, and do the business of their mission. Hence vigilance, labour, and care are commended to us.
(col. 381)
—[they are demanded for death]. Before the King’s ears a sad and accusatory speech about them is set up, and they themselves are demanded for slaughter. It is usual that, into the discourses, vituperations, [and] hatreds of men — even of great and princely men — the good and innocent run [fall]. From Jericho they betake themselves to the mountains — so that, from this world’s more-than-lunatic changes and inconstancies, we may seek the heavenly [things], [and] ascend upward through the contemplation of divine things; [and] meanwhile, while the guards of the King of Jericho — or rather of the Tartarean Tyrant — seek us for death, and that an everlasting [one], we may [for a while] lie hidden. For what, I ask, are wicked and flagitious companions — [those] who invite [us] to wine, games, pleasures, nay even to riches, honours, and empty glories — what, I say, are they, but ministers of the inconstant and changeable moon, apparitors of the Jericho[ite King], and executioners? This our life scarcely has the likeness of three days. Yesterday we were born, today we live, tomorrow we die.
But with respect to the whole Church, thus [writes] Rupert, spiritually, ch. 11 bk. 1: “It was announced to the King of Jericho [that] spies sent by Joshua had come — when to the prince of this world, the devil, it was ascertained in fact [that] there had come, against [his] principality and the aerial powers, preachers of the Gospel sent by the Saviour to the King of darkness. Then, I say, this was announced to him, when [the preacher] began to be cast out from the hearts of men, from the temples and images of the nations. This King, therefore, sent — the King, I say, of the sons of pride, and the King of Jericho, [that is,] of folly. Who are, or were, the [men] sent by this King? First Nero, the chief lictor of the King the devil. Then Domitian. Then Trajan. Then all the rest — princes indeed of men, but satellites of the demons; ruling the world indeed, but obeying the devil. These, sent by their King — sent, I say, that is, inspired by the devil — said to Rahab, said to the Church (which, now spread through the whole Roman world, had received Christ’s Apostles into the one house of the faith): ‘Bring out the men who came to you, and entered your house.’ This they said by new edicts, laws, proscriptions, swords, and various kinds of torments. For when, by persecuting and killing in every way, they acted to extirpate the name of Christ and the faith of his Apostles, they compelled the men to be brought out who had come to her and entered her house. But she never gave assent to such [demands]; nay, where she could not preserve on both sides, she hid the pearl of the faith, and rather betrayed her own life.”
Not only [this], but also, according to the historical example of this woman too, wherever cause or reason demanded, she sent forth the received messengers of the Saviour to flee by another way. Nor indeed did the most faithful Leaders of the warriors [Church] in this way bring upon their glory the charge [of cowardice], as often as they fled from place to place, deceiving the persecutors by cunning. For where the persecutor seeks the whole family of Christ, and, as against the whole fold, a wolf or lion rages, there the pastor ought not to flee with arms cast away, but to stand even to death, [as] a companion of the peril, and to give his soul for the sheep. But where a robber or executioner seeks the pastor alone, there he usefully seeks the refuge of flight, according to the evangelical authority: “When they persecute you in one city, flee into another.” Thus Paul, at Damascus — where the governor of King Aretas guarded the city, to seize him (because he alone was sought) — was, by the brothers, willingly let down through the wall in a basket, and thus escaped his hands [2 Cor. 11]. But where the universal persecution of the raging Nero sought the life both of the pastor himself and of the sheep, there he asked neither for a window—
(col. 382)
—nor a cord, nor a basket, but willingly, for an example to the sheep, fell by his own blood for the Saviour.
But neither is it for nothing that these spies were first hidden by Rahab under flax — and indeed under woody flax. For I know not whether [it] be not signified [that] there is help and protection to us from things which seem small, still rough, uncombed, and hard, [yet] are nonetheless of such a kind that from them the greatest, most excellent, and most useful [things] are wont to be made. And, “that we may begin (as Pliny says, preface bk. 9) from the acknowledged [things],” — from the utilities — flax, which has filled not only all lands but even the seas, is sown, and can be reckoned neither among the field-crops nor among the garden-plants; but in what part of life does it not occur? Or what miracle [is] greater? — that there be a plant which brings Egypt near to Italy; which receives [i.e. catches] the winds and storms [in sails]; and, finally, is born from so small a seed, [yet] carries the orb of the lands to and fro on so slender a stalk; is lifted not high from the earth; and is knit not by its own strength, but [when] steeped and pounded and beaten into the softness of wool. And what indeed [are] those things small, cheap, and despised, which [are] like this flax? The mortification, namely, of our members which are upon the earth; the bridling of the perturbations of the soul; the exercise of humility, poverty, [and] patience; nay, even the use of the Christian sacraments, and zeal and labour in the disciplines of the sacred books. To me, too, those seem to lie and hide most safely under the flax who contain themselves under the decrees, institutes, and interpretations of the divine scriptures of the Catholic Church. “For linen woven cloth,” says Apuleius (Apolog. 1), “is a most pure covering for divine things.” And a little later: “The most clean crop of flax, sprung from the earth among the best field-crops, [is used] not only for the clothing and covering of the most holy Egyptian priests, but is also thence taken over as a covering for sacred things.” Origen, homily 1: “Nor do I receive the stalk of flax, in which the spies were hidden, without [its] sacraments [mysteries]. For linen is a priestly garment” — about which Josephus [Antiq.] 20 ch. 8.
But the most excellent [thing] in these spies is gratitude — about which above, quest. 19, ch. 2. It becomes us to imitate fertile fields (as Cicero admonishes, bk. 1 On Duties), “which render much more than they received.” Nor [is] their prudence and caution in swearing not most worthy of imitation — about which [in] the same place; and [their] signal modesty: they did not despise the counsel of one poor little woman, but accurately followed her wish, returning to their own [people] neither earlier nor later. Finally, having returned, they narrate to their Leader Joshua whatever had befallen them. For indeed the Apostles too, having returned to Joshua [Jesus], “narrated whatever they had done,” Luke ch. 9 v. 10. But how greatly they praised and commended Rahab herself, [and] with what care they set forth the religion [sanctity] of the oath by which they had bound themselves, the solicitude of Joshua himself will show below, ch. 6 v. 22. They give a truly scarlet sign of safety — namely, the cross of our Joshua [Jesus]; but [of] this [more] afterward. The rest, which are consonant with these, it is pleasing to bring forward in the words of Theodoret himself, quaest. 1 on this book:
“Just as the spies sent by Jesus [Joshua] son of Nun preserved the believing harlot, giving her, as a sign of safety, a scarlet thread — so the Apostles of our Saviour recalled the harlot (that is, the Church, reclining among various idols) from her former intemperance, and made [her] worthy of eternal goods: not using a scarlet cord as a sign, but obtaining safety by the most sacred blood—”
(col. 383)
—[obtaining safety by the most sacred blood], and afterward: “But indeed the pacts of the spies are very consonant with the truth. For ‘whoever,’ they said, ‘shall have gone out the door of her house abroad, he shall be guilty to himself, and we shall be innocent, as regards your word’ [v. 19]. But to us safety comes through the Church; and [those] who are outside it do not enjoy eternal life.”